The mild, wet conditions in the south-west of England, brought about by the Gulf Stream and our proximity to the sea, have created perfect conditions for the establishment of Atlantic Woodlands. These moist, humid woods—also known as Celtic Rainforests—are brimming with lush green ferns, carpets of mosses and lichens covering tree trunks and hanging from the canopies. Building Resilience in South West Woodlands is a new Heritage Lottery-funded project—led by Plantlife—that addresses the challenges faced by the Atlantic woodlands ofRead more
Posts filed in: Management
Winter Works in Yarner Wood …Update on the New Dam
As many regular visitors will be aware, this winter, Natural England are working on dismantling the old dam near the NNR office in Yarner Wood and rebuilding a fit for purpose new dam. The work was started in January with a May completion date. We are glad to say we are progressing well and slightly ahead of schedule and should complete the construction by mid April – we will keep you updated. Even when the work is complete, given theRead more
Timber! Tools, Trees and Tall Tales – Saturday 24 March
If you want to know what woodland conservation is all about, the Timber! Tools, Trees and Tall Tales event is for you. Hosted by the Woodland Trust and Natural England at Pullabrook Woods in the Bovey Valley the woodland open day will show you why we fell trees, what happens to the timber and how we manage the precious woodland habitats for some of our special wild species. This event will celebrate the use of both traditional wood skills andRead more
If you go down to the woods today…
…Please do not have a surprise! Due to essential works, from Monday 8 January, the vehicle access into Yarner Wood will be restricted over the coming winter months and into spring. The main access will be via the Middle Trendlebere Car Park, grid reference SX783 792 (middle green circle on the map below). The driveway into Yarner Wood, off the Manaton-Bovey Tracey road, will be restricted to work traffic during this period. Owing to a non-functioning Victorian dam, Natural EnglandRead more
High above the Bovey Valley
From Yarner Woods in the south across Trendlebere Down, to the chain of woodlands along the Bovey Valley, the woods and heaths of East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve comprise a patchwork of habitats, that shelters an abundance of species. The woods along the Bovey Valley include the riverside Pullabrook Wood, Hisley Wood that rises out of the valley and Houndtor Wood that sits on a steep ridge between the Becka Brook and the River Bovey. To truly understand this landscape youRead more
Lichens – Dartmoor’s Hidden Gems
During the winter, when the leaves fall off trees, these small sometimes unseen beauties can be better appreciated, though they can be seen all the year round. Although they can grow on almost any surface; rock, metal, glass, plastic, walls, bone, leather, paint, fences, pavements, soil, rocks, grave stones, old houses – it is on the trees in the internationally important Atlantic / upland western oak woodland that they are most renowned. Dartmoor is one of the best places toRead more
Five in one, half a dozen in the other!
You would be hard-pressed to find a more vibrant display of natural life than a family of dormice launching themselves, as if spring-loaded, out of their nesting box. This isn’t an uncommon sight when checking the nesting boxes that have been nestled away in the hazel coppice within Hisley Woods. At peak nesting season in September an impressive eighteen dormice were observed in one days monitoring, with two boxes hosting entire families numbering five and six individuals! After being weighed,Read more
No Boundaries – Broader Horizons
The wonderful wildlife of the eastern side of Dartmoor is not just found within the boundaries of the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve. Species of plants and animals often find places that suit their requirements in the surrounding fields, heaths and woods. The nature reserve managers, Natural England and the Woodland Trust, frequently work with neighbouring landowners to monitor and improve the habitats around this beautiful part of the moor. For example, in recent years, researchers from the University ofRead more
East Dartmoor’s Mires
East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve contains a diverse mosaic of habitats across its 365 hectares. One habitat type that can sometimes be overlooked amongst the larger, more conspicuous woodlands and heaths are the mires. Mires are wet and acidic habitats dominated by layers of partially decayed vegetation, known as peat, often 0.5 – 3.0 m deep. Hidden amongst combes or on the open moors, mires include rain-fed blanket bogs and valley-positioned fens which receive their water and mineral-supply from bothRead more
